1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine for generating power by combustion of a fuel air mixture of a reformed fuel produced by a reformer and air in a combustion chamber, and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-241365 discloses an internal combustion engine for generating power by combustion of a fuel air mixture of a reformed fuel produced by a reformer and air in a combustion chamber. The reformer of the internal combustion engine reforms a fuel air mixture of a fuel and air to produce the reformed fuel containing predetermined fuel components (for example, CO and H2). Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-021362(1997) discloses an internal combustion engine with a reformer. The reformer has an air intake line including a throttle valve and a reforming air supply line branched from the air intake line at a point upstream from the throttle valve. Air is supplied to the reformer via the reforming air supply line.
In the conventional internal combustion engine, a supply of air to the reformer is started when a catalyst temperature in the reformer exceeds a predetermined value (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-021362(1997)). Accordingly, a sufficient amount of air may not be supplied to the reformer at a beginning of a fuel reforming operation, so that the conventional internal combustion engine may not be favorably started.